Review of Love Happy

This day being the one Groucho Marx died 30 years ago, 3 days after Elvis, I decided to watch some of his movies that I either have on tape or just checked at the library. Love Happy, I taped 12 years ago from AMC. This movie came 20 years after Groucho and his brothers' talkie debut in The Cocoanuts. His participation is limited here which is just as well since he doesn't have many funny lines except with the villainous Ilona Massey and, in her brief part, a well-endowed Marilyn Monroe. Says Groucho to her, "Is there anything I can do for you? (turns to audience as he see-saws his eyebrows) What a ridiculous statement!" The story mainly concerns Harpo, as himself, as he steals plenty of sardine cans as they're being thrown at him unknowingly by Eric Blore. One Blore doesn't throw but has stolen unbeknownst from him by Harpo has some valuable diamonds. There's also a plot about a musical show with dancer Vera-Ellen and singer Marion Hutton (Betty's sister) that's for the birds. Best parts of those segments concern Chico's piano playing with violinist Leon Belasco though there's also a sexy Vera-Ellen number that got my temperature rising. Worst parts for me were Chico's wooing of Ms. Massey and Vera-Ellen's constant crying in front of Harpo. Most interesting part was the chase sequence at the end where Harpo rides on lots of billboards in one of the rare instances of product placements of the period. Many of those gags probably came from former animation director Frank Tashlin, a co-writer of the script. While there's one scene with Groucho and Harpo, the one with Chico at the end probably was shot on separate occasions since they don't share that scene together, just a cut to Chico after Grouch calls out to him. So, technically, this isn't really a "Marx Brothers" picture, just Harpo starring with Chico in support and Groucho in an extended cameo. Having not seen The Big Store, I reserve judgment on whether this is the worst movie of their career but Love Happy is certainly one of their lesser ones. P.S. Raymond Burr is one of the henchmen.